Worcester firefighters deliver baby at apartment

On Saturday night, Worcester firefighters were dispatched to an apartment on a report of a pregnant woman in labor.

But when Engine 4’s Timothy Gray, Karl Soloman and Lt. Steve Oberg walked up the stairs to the apartment about 10:30 p.m., what they found was a woman in bed moments away from giving birth.

Firefighter Gray was soon guiding a newborn into the world as Firefighter Soloman prepared to clear the baby’s airway with a suction kit.

“We were trained on this in school, but you never think it’s actually going to happen to you,” said Firefighter Gray, who doesn’t have any children of his own. “It was interesting.”

UMass Memorial EMS paramedics arrived a few minutes later and took over care of mom and a healthy baby girl, he said. The baby’s father cut the umbilical cord with help from the paramedics, and then mom and baby were on their way to the hospital in the back of the ambulance.